Back in high school, our school was famous for making a huge bonfire as a rally for a thanksgiving day football game tradition. It was constructed every year by all the seniors and local companies would drop off truckloads of wood and pallets for us to stack.

At one point, the pile was maybe 20 ft high and there were some pallets slanted along the side that looked like a ramp. I look at my friends and say “haha, it looks you could go up that easy if you were in a wheelchair!”

Sure enough, there was an Indian kid in a wheelchair 5 feet behind me. I turn around and we make eye contact, and he gives me this slight smile that let me know he heard but it was ok, but I felt the shame and regret instantly, and all i could muster was a disappointed frown. This kid was one of the nicest kids I knew and incredibly intelligent... It wasn’t malicious, but I still feel like an ass about it six years later.